Parents' Guide to SkySafari

App iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android Paid Education
SkySafari Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

Amanda Bindel By Amanda Bindel , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 12+

Beautiful astronomy resource is rich with information.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 12+?

Any Positive Content?

  • SkySafari App: Screenshot #1
  • SkySafari App: Screenshot #2
  • SkySafari App: Screenshot #3

Parent and Kid Reviews

See all

Privacy Rating Warning

  • Personal information is not sold or rented to third parties.
  • Personal information is not shared for third-party marketing.
  • Personalised advertising is not displayed.
  • Data are not collected by third-parties for their own purposes.
  • User's information is not used to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
  • Unclear whether this product creates and uses data profiles for personalised advertisements.
Learn more about our privacy ratings

What's It About?

SKYSAFARI is a point-and-identify sky map that includes the major planets and moons; tens of thousands of stars; 220 of the best-known star clusters; and nebulae, galaxies, asteroids, comets, and more. Kids need to enable the compass on their device (which is on the bottom of the screen when the app is open) and point the device at the sky. They can also view the night sky for any time up to one hundred years in the past or future. Using the search function, kids can find specific objects in the night sky, guided by arrows showing them where to point the device.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

SkySafari makes it possible to view space from a small device kids can hold in their hands. The images come from NASA space missions, the Hubble Space Telescope, and astro-photographers -- and are beautiful. In addition to viewing the night sky -- past, present, and future -- kids can read details about each planet, galaxy, star, and object. A neat feature in the search function is "Tonight's Best," which lists the objects in the night sky that are best for viewing that evening.

SkySafari works wonderfully alongside a telescope, so kids familiar with viewing the night sky through a telescope will adapt easily to using SkySafari to its fullest capabilities. Kids who are interested in identifying constellations and stars can do that, but Mobile Observatory is easier to navigate.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Explore the universe together, making a plan of which sky objects you'll look for.

  • View the list of local astronomy events and attend one together.

  • If you live near a planetarium or an observatory, visit it together to learn more about our solar system.

App Details

  • Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android
  • Subjects : Science : astronomy
  • Skills : Tech Skills : using and applying technology
  • Pricing structure : Paid (There are optional in-app purchases for extra content and features.)
  • Release date : June 11, 2020
  • Genre : Education
  • Topics : STEM
  • Publisher : Simulation Curriculum Corp.
  • Version : 6.7.2
  • Minimum software requirements : iOS 8.0 or later; Android 4.4 and up
  • Last updated : October 1, 2025

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by

SkySafari Poster Image

You May Also Like...

See all

Tools to Turn Your Kid into a Math and Science Pro

See all

STEM: Apps, TV, and More for Science, Tech, Engineering, and Math

See all recommended app lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate